Bourbon Renewal Cocktail

This adaptation of the Bourbon Renewal cocktail can be made as tangy or sweet as you prefer. Either way, it's a delicious happy hour treat!

Happy Monday, Urban Bliss warriors! How was your weekend?

I spent 30 glorious hours in Seattle, Washington for the Seattle Food and Wine Experience. I lounged luxuriously in the super awesome Maxwell Hotel (review with tons of photos coming soon) and ate one of the best breakfasts I have eaten in recent memory at Toulouse Petit (you know that restaurant review is coming soon too!).

Then I had the absolute joy and honor of learning more about some new-to-me food, wine, beer, cider, and spirits brands at the Seattle Food and Wine Experience events. Folks, I have at least a dozen stories coming your way later this year, from this weekend alone. We are so blessed with an abundance of amazing food & beverage companies and products in the Pacific Northwest, and I cannot wait to share some of my favorites with you!

But until then, we tackle Monday. I realize that today is National Margarita Day, but since it's my birthday week, I thought today I would share one of my favorite cocktails in the whole world for this week's Mixology Monday.

Bourbon Renewal

I first had the Bourbon Renewal at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon about five or six years ago. Maybe even seven. I'm turning another year older on Thursday, so let's just make it eight years ago, to be safe, because I know I had it first within a year or two of their grand opening in 2007.

It blew my mind, folks. I love bourbon, and this cocktail celebrates good bourbon with a hint of sweetness and a dash of bright citrus.

Bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler reportedly named this recipe after a band that his former business partner was in. Morgenthaler is a legend in the mixology scene and really, any cocktail you have at Clyde Common is phenomenal. I love going there for happy hour.

My recipe is adapted slightly from his in that I don't always have creme de cassis on hand, so I substitute black currant syrup or raspberry or marionberry liqueur. If you have creme de cassis on hand, by all means, do use it!

I also substitute The Bitter Housewife's Aromatic Bitters for Angostura bitters, as I usually do, but if you have Angostura bitters on hand, use that.

Bourbon Renewal

5 from 3 votes

Recipe by Marlynn Schotland

This cocktail celebrates bourbon in all its glory with a hint of sweetness and dash of bright citrus.

Servings: 1

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 oz bourbon
• ▢ 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• ▢ ½ oz black currant syrup or sub raspberry liqueur or creme de cassis
• ▢ 1 oz simple syrup
• ▢ 2-3 dashes aromatic bitters or Angostura bitters

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
• Shake, then strain over ice into an old-fashioned glass.
• Garnish with a lemon wedge, blackberries, currants.

Notes

If you like your bourbon cocktails less sweet, reduce the simple syrup amount to ½ ounce. br]Adapted from [Jeffrey Morgenthaler

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Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.

More cocktail recipes you might like: 

Mixology Monday: Rosemary Citrus Old Fashioned

Mixology Monday: Backyard Collins

Mixology Monday: The Mrs. cocktail

What's your favorite bourbon cocktail? Or, if you don't like bourbon, what the heck is wrong with you? KIDDING! I kid. What's your fave cocktail or mocktail, if you don't like bourbon?